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The Vatican has recently named Richard Moth as the new Archbishop of Westminster, appointing him as the senior leader of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. He takes over from Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who retired at the age of 80 after serving in the position since 2009. Before this new role, Moth was the Bishop of Arundel and Brighton for a decade and also held the position of Bishop to the Forces.
In his new capacity as Archbishop of Westminster, Richard Moth will assume presidency of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, taking on the responsibility of guiding approximately six million Catholics. Cardinal Nichols, although past the usual retirement age of 75, remained in office longer at the request of Pope Francis. This past May, Nichols participated in the conclave that elected Pope Leo XIV. The search for Nichols’ successor involved the Apostolic Nuncio to the UK, who provided a list of candidates to the pope.
Archbishop Moth has been actively involved in addressing social justice concerns in the UK and recently emphasized compassion toward migrants, highlighting that Jesus’s family fled to Egypt as refugees. He applauded policy changes such as the removal of the two-child benefit cap. Despite some growth among immigrant Catholic communities, Moth now faces the ongoing challenge of declining attendance in many churches nationwide. He has also expressed unease about the use of Christian symbols by far-right groups, including events organized by activist Tommy Robinson, who advocates for reclaiming “Christian identity.” Alongside the Archbishop of Birmingham, Moth condemned the social divisions such actions may fuel, stating, “This does not reflect the spirit or message of Christmas.” The Catholic Church continues to play a significant role in supporting those impacted by the cost of living crisis.
In addition to his pastoral duties, Archbishop Moth will oversee the Church’s efforts to address safeguarding issues, a constant challenge for the institution. A major inquiry in 2020 uncovered that from 1970 to 2015, the Catholic Church in England and Wales received over 3,000 complaints of child sexual abuse involving more than 900 individuals connected to the Church. The report criticized Cardinal Nichols for focusing more on the Church’s reputation than on victims, to which he responded with an apology, acknowledging the gravity of the harm suffered. Cardinal Nichols, who retires after 16 years of leading the Church through significant transformations, is the son of teachers and hails from Crosby. He is also known as a lifelong Liverpool FC supporter and began his priestly career in Wigan. Notably, he was instrumental in welcoming Pope Benedict XVI during his official visit to England in 2010
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